Spool runway



April 9, 1957 SPOOL RUNWAY SPOOL RUNWAY Giles P. Hater, Kenmore, and William R. Meyers, Williarnsvilie, N. Y., assignors to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N Y., a corporation of New York Application September 25, 1953, Serial No. 382,288

1 Claim. (Cl. 238-1) This invention relates to a runway for spools or reels having flanged ends.

In the manufacture and processing of spool wound materials such as electrical conductors, empty reels are made available at the pay-off or supply locations where spool Wound materials are fed to the processing equipment. Correspondingly, empty spools are needed at take-up locations where the processed material is rewound on the spools. In such installations, it is desirable to have a supply of empty spools available at takeup locations.

It is the principal object of this invention to provide a convenient and simple runway for spools to facilitate moving spools from one location to another.

According to the general features of the invention, applicants have provided a double channel runway for the spools wherein the guide members of one channel are offset from the guide members of the other channel whereby the two channels overlap so that when spools are loaded alternately on the channels, they make flange to barrel contact between each other.

According to an important feature of the invention, the guide flanges of the channels are aligned for the insides of the flanges of the spool. In accordance with this feature, the possibility of the spools becoming cocked and jammed between their channel members is practically eliminated.

These and other features of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the single figure of the drawing showing an isometric view of a portion of a runway constructed in accordance with the invention.

As seen in the drawing, the runway comprises four parallel structural steel angle members 2, 3, 4 and 5, mounted on transverse supporting members 3. The four members 2, 3, d and are arranged to provide two guiding channels for the flanges 6 of spools 9 placed thereon. The members 2 and 3 of one channel are oflfset from and parallel to the members 4 and 5 of the other channel so that one channel is oflset from and overlaps the other.

The separation between corresponding guiding flanges 7 of each of the pairs of channel members is slightly less than the distance between flanges 6 of the spools, thereby providing a clearance to allow the spools to freely roll therebetween. Due to this necessary clearance, it is possible for a spool to become cocked and roll against one side. With the guides on the inside of the spool flanges, the leading edge of the spool meets with a rubbing resistance. The moment of this resisting force about 2,788,179 Patented Apr. 9, 1957 the center of momentum of a rolling spool will tend to bring the trailing end forward and straighten the spool for free rolling. If the guide members 7 were aligned for the outside of the spool flanges 6, the tendency would be to cock the rolling spool further, thereby increasing; the rolling resistance and its likelihood of stopping.

As disclosed in the drawing, with the spools 9 placed alternately on the channels, succeeding spool flanges, being in different channels, make flange 6 against barrel 1i contact, therefore, they cannot become wedged in the channel such as might occur in a single channel run- Way. Also, this barrel to flange alignment increases the number of spools which can be stacked in the runway, thus increasing its storage capacity.

To provide for free rolling of spools placed thereon, the channels of the runway may be sloped at an angle slightly above the average angle of repose so that a spool on a channel will start rolling due to gravity alone when a preceding spool is withdrawn.

While the invention has been described with respect to a particular embodiment for purposes of illustration, it will be understood that the device could be modified in various ways in accordance with the general principles of the invention and the requirements of the particular conditions of use. For example, instead of using four separate angle members, a flat base plate having four parallel vertical guides, corresponding to flanges 7, fixed thereto could be used; in addition, a stop member may be utilized at the end of the channel and side rails may be used to contain spools which may bounce over the low guide flanges if rolled at excessive speeds.

These and numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled in the art which will embody the principles of the invention and fall within the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

A non-jamming double runway for flanged spools comprising supporting members for the spool flanges extending longitudinally of the runway and two pairs of guides extending upwardly from the plane of the supporting members, one guide of each pair being disposed between the other pair of guides so that spools may be placed over the two pairs of guides alternately in staggered, nesting relation and the guides of each pair being spaced apart only slightly less than the spacing between the inner faces of the spool flanges to engage the leading edge of the flange of a spool cocked in the runway and restore it to free rolling position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 375,422 Leinwather Dec. 27, 1887 456,438 Shaw July 21, 1891 694,851 Gardner Mar. 4, 1902 955,382 Clark Apr. 19, 1910 1,194,819 Clark Aug. 15, 1916 1,505,116 Wiebe Aug. 19, 1924 1,626,709 Walthall May 3, 1927 1,682,974 Lukens Sept. 4, 1928 OTHER REFERENCES Rules Governing the Loading of Commodities on Open Top Cars, published by the Association of American Railroads, Chicago, 1945, page 295, Fig. 110. 

